Design and Appearance of the Fisher F4

The Fisher F4 metal detector is very brightly coloured and is done up in gold and black. It consists of three main components – the coil, the stem, and the control panel.

The F4 ends in an arm rest. The coil is a snow shoe shaped, Bi-Axial coil about 11 inches in diameter. There is a padded area just above the control box where you can place your hand when you are not using the controls.

The Fisher F4 does not come equipped with headphones but there is a feature for audio connection.

This metal detector will be delivered to you in separate pieces and you will need to fit them together.

Nonetheless, it is incredibly easy to assemble the F4. All you are required to do is to simply snap the poles into place. Once you are done fixing it, you can adjust the shaft to suit your height perfectly. Despite the fact that assembly is required, the F4 feels quite solid and there is no loosening of the parts as you use it.

You will also be required to coil the cable around the stem of the metal detector. It will need to be plugged into the coil as well as the control box well for it to function properly.

With your arm firmly in the rest, you can easily reach down and work the controls on the control box. The control box is surprisingly small and you will have no problem at all managing the settings with just one hand. That being said, the arm rest is quite uncomfortable.

If you are planning on spending a while using the metal detector, it is best not to really lean into the arm rest.

However, the padded area above the control box is a nice touch.

Buttons and Modes of the Fisher F4

In addition to the screen, the Fisher F4 has nine different buttons. These are the Power button, the Auto Tune mode, Pinpoint, DISC, Notch, Discrimination, and Sensitivity. There is also a knob that is used to control the Ground Balance. The LED displays the Sensitivity range, the Threshold, and the All Metal.

To turn on the metal detector, you simply have to press the ON/OFF touchpad. This is the same button that powers down the Fisher F4 as well.

Under DISC, there are two separate modes available. These are the All-Metal Discrimination Mode and the Discrimination mode. With All-Metal Discrimination, all metal targets will be detected.

With the other feature, you can be more selective of what you want to find. Using the Discrimination + and – buttons, you can choose to add more items or remove items from the list.

With the Sensitivity buttons, you can choose to either increase or decrease the sensitivity.

The higher the sensitivity, the deeper down you will be able to find objects. However, at greater depths the metal detector does become more prone to electromagnetic interference. As such, you cannot always be certain of accuracy at higher sensitivity settings.

The Auto Tune button activates the All Metal mode. Here, the metal detector is at its highest sensitivity, for most ground conditions. The metal detector must be ground balanced when in this mode.

With Notch, you are afforded even more control over the targets that you want to discriminate. Following Discrimination, you can choose to add or remove other targets or categories.

Pinpoint is used to determine where smaller objects are buried. This helps to narrow down the location of the object. The detection sensitivity of the Pinpoint mode is managed by the Sensitivity buttons.

Features and Performance of Fisher F4

For the most part, many of the features on the Fisher F4 function much like every other metal detector. The components are quite basic, which is actually fine, as this is largely meant for those who are starting out with metal detecting.

Though the settings are rudimentary, they are nonetheless quite effective and they really do work well. In this instance, you cannot complain that the F4 is lacking anything as you will be able to use all of the functions with ease.

Where this metal detector really comes into its own, however, is with discrimination.

The controls present on the Fisher F4 ensure that you will be able to be incredibly precise in choosing what to include and exclude. Of course, none of that really means much if the metal detector does not respond appropriately.

The F4 answers this call quite well.

Therefore, if you are a true treasure seeker, then the F4 will come in quite handy.

The Fisher F4 is also great for any coin collector. True to the manufacturer’s promise, this metal detector is quite superb at finding all types of coins. Even better, you can have better control of the denomination that is detected as well. The Pinpoint mode only adds to this ability, to add even more precision. Due to the weight of this metal detector, it is not the best kid’s metal detector.

Pros and Cons of Fisher F4

Pros:

Fantastic discrimination options

Good sensitivity

Lightweight, weighing just a little over a kilo

Waterproof coil

Makes a good entry level metal detector

Cons:

The armrest is a little uncomfortable, particularly over a long period of time

The Final Verdict

The final conclusion about the Fisher F4 is that overall, it is a good metal detector, particularly for those who are just starting out. Someone who is a little more seasoned may not appreciate it as much, but it is certainly a powerful metal detector. It is also great if you do not want to be frequently bothered by trash or other items that you consider unnecessary.

The metal detector is capable of discriminating them with a high degree of accuracy and precision.

If you are a coin collector, you will be able to find even more joy in this metal detector.

Overall, however, it is definitely a metal detector that you would not regret investing in.

Related

I’m one of the founders of this blog. A 32 yr old from Lincolnshire & proud father of 3 beautiful children. My first metal detector was a garret ace 150 but I am currently using the Garrett ace 400i. My best find was a roman coin. Feel free to ask me any questions.

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Niff - February 9, 2017

I’ve been detecting for around 30 years, I’ve used old Skool machines such as fieldmaster, the Viking ( 70’s model) , Saxon sm40 ( good machine for hammered ),bounty hunter ( rubbish ), etc etc, but the F4 is a good honest machine no fancy gadgets ,it’s good for thrashy iron sites, I currently running the ADX 150 xp which is another under estimated machine, good depth but is a slow machine can’t go mad or you’ll miss items, but I’m hoping to get another F4 just for my thrashy iron sites, and keep the ADX 150 xp .

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